Opening Day! Edmonds to start

It’s Opening Day and the roof is open at Miller Park, an unprecedented event for the start of the Brewers’ 10th season in their retractable-domed home.

Here we go with lineups:

ROCKIESCarlos Gonzalez CF

Seth Smith LF

Todd Helton 1B

Troy Tulowitzki SS

Brad Hawpe RF

Chris Ianetta C

Ian Stewart 3B

Clint Barmes 2B

Ubaldo Jimenez RHP

BREWERS

Rickie Weeks 2B

Carlos Gomez CF

Ryan Braun LF

Prince Fielder 1BJim Edmonds RF

Casey McGehee 3B

Gregg Zaun C

Alcides Escobar SS

Yovani Gallardo RHP

Gallardo will be making his first career Opening Day start. He’s one of nine Major Leaguers starting their first season opener today, joining budding stars like Kansas City’s Zach Greinke and grizzled veterans like the Dodgers’ Vicente Padilla, a 31-year-old starting his first opener after playing 11 seasons, and 29-year-old Jon Garland of the Padres, who is getting his first Opening Day nod after 10 previous seasons. Here’s the list, courtesy of the Brewers:

FIRST OPENING DAY STARTS IN 2010:

PITCHER/CAREER RECORD

JON GARLAND 117-102

VICENTE PADILLA 98-85

ZACK GREINKE 50-53

SCOTT BAKER 43-33

JOSH JOHNSON 34-16

UBALDO JIMINEZ 31-28

SHAUN MARCUM 24-17

SCOTT FELDMAN 24-21

YOVANI GALLARDO 22-17

Gallardo’s 22 career wins are not the fewest for an Opening Day starter this year. Washington’s John Lannon has a career record of 20-30 but is starting the season opener for the second straight season.

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3 Comments

He’s giving up an itdroinane amount of hits, largely due to bad luck and poor defense. I’m not so sure about that last part. I hate to be one of those Have you watched the game? guys, but he’s been hit pretty damn hard at times. In the wonderful 47 pitch inning last weekend against Pittsburgh, he gave up 5 consecutive extra base hits, and pretty much all of them were smoked. The line drives are probably a big reason for the high BABIP. I’m sure that’ll come down and that he’ll be fine eventually, but it’s not like their (obviously crappy) defense has been killing him.

The NL Central, as succinctly as I can Forget about the Astros and Pirates, they’re non-factors.The Cubs will do one of two tighns stumble out of the gate or implode in July. Pick one.Don’t look now, St. Louis, but you are just the Cubs in red uniforms.Milwaukee will be interesting until Prince Fielder is traded, then they will fold faster than Superman on laundry day. Reds win by default.

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